Air-brake system.



Patented March 7, 1905.

ISAAC M. SIMONS, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

AIR-BRAKE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,506, dated March 7,1905.

Application filed July 19, 1904. Serial No. 217,203.

To all whom it may con/ceriu- Be it known that LISAAC M. SIMoNs, acitizen of the United States, residing at Youngstown, in the county ofMahoningandState of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements inAir-Brake Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to air-brake systems for railway-cars, and moreparticularly to automatic check-valves for use upon trains having one,two, or more engines.

A great objection heretofore experienced in connection with trainshaving two or more engines has been the fact that the air brakes havenecessarily been under the control of one engine.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a check-valve ofnovel construction adapted to be placed upon the engines of a train insuch a manner that either or both of the engines can be utilized forapplying or releasing the brakes of the system.

The invention consists of a casing adapted to be placed at a suitablepoint in the enginecab where the forward and backward trainlines connectwith the pipes leading from the pumps. The casing has a loose valvemounted therein and consisting of a tubular core inclosed by rings orflanges, and inlets are so disposed in the casing that one of them maybe shut off when the valve is shifted into one of its positions. A valveis employed for controlling these inlets, and another valve is alsoemployed for controlling the forward pipe of the casing.

The invention also consists of the further novel construction andcombination of parts hereinafter more fully described, and pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the preferred form of myinvention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through my improvedvalve and its casing, and Fig. 2 is a detail view of the valve detached.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is a valve-casingin which is slidably mounted a valve which consists of a tubular core 2,open at its rear end, provided adjacent its forward end with a port 2'and embraced by preferably three annular flanges 3, 4, and 5, each ofwhich is provided with suitable packing whereby a tight connection isformed between said flanges and the inner surfaces of the casing 1.Ports 6 are formed in the core 2, between the flanges 4L and 5, and apin 7 extends from the flange 3 and is adapted to reciprocate within arecess 8, formed in one end of easing 1 at a point above a backtrain-pipe 9. This pin 7 prevents the valve from rotating within casing1,and a cylindrical extension 10 incloses the pin 7 and serves as anabutment to limit the movement of the valve toward pipe 9. ranged on theother end of the casing 1 and is adapted to be contacted by core 2, soas to limit its movement in that direction. The forward train-pipe 12extends from the end of easing 1 adjacent lug l1 and has a valvecasing13 therein, in which is arranged :1 r0- tary valve 14:, having anL-shaped passage 15 therein, which is adapted to open communicationthrough the pipe 12 or to direct air from the forward portion 16 of pipe12 outward through a vent 17, formed in valve-casing 13.

The ports 6 in core 2 are adapted to aline with an inlet-pipe 18,extending from casing 1, and this pipe is similar to another pipe, 19,which extends from said casing at a point adjacent the end on which thelug 11 is located. Pipes 18 and 19 are connected to a valve-casing 20,in which is located a rotary valve 21, adapted to establishcommunication between either of the pipes 18 and 19 and a pipe 22,extending to the pump. (Not shown.)

It will be understood that the valve shown in Fig. 1 is arranged on thesecond engine of the train, and the portion 16 of pipe 12 will extend tothe pipe 9 of the valve-casing 1 on the first engine. If it is desiredto place the train in the control of the head engine, the pressure inthe train-line is reduced by means of the engineers valve 23 on the headengine. The pressure in front of the loose valve in casing 1 on thesecond engine will therefore be reduced, and said valve will moveforward until the flanges 3 and 4: thereon assume positions at oppositesides of the inlet 18, thereby shutting off said inlet, it beingunderstood A lug or abutment 11 is a1 that this movement of the valvetakes place before the pressure can equalize on opposite sides of thevalve through the ports in the core. The pump to which pipe 22 isconnected is therefore shut off from the line, and the brakes are infull control of the leading engine, for the reason that a free passageis established from the valve of said engine through the pipes 16 and 12and through the core 2 from end to end to pipe 9. When the air isreleased from the main reservoir to the train-line, it will rush intocasing 1 and force the loose valve back, so as to again place the ports6 in alinement with pipe 18,..thereby allowing the pump connected topipe 22 to aid in charging the train-line. When it is desired to placethe train in control of the second engine, the valve 21 on the secondengine is turned so as to cut oif pipe 18 and valve 14 is turned so asto establish communication between pipes 16 and vent 17. The firstengine is thus cut off from the train-line, and by operating theengineers valve 23 of the second engine the brakes can be operatedthrough inlet -'pipe 19 and the loose valve. With this arrangement theengineer on each engine has control of the train-line, and the pump ofeach engine can be utilized for releasing the brakes as well as forcharging the train-line after the brakes have been set.

In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred form of myinvention; but I do not limit myself thereto, as I am aware thatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve theright to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of myinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Avalve for air-brake systems comprising a casing having ports at oppositeends thereof, a tubular core arranged for reciprocation and fittingsnugly within the casing, said core being adapted to maintaincommunication between the end ports, valve-controlled inlets openinginto the casing, and a lateral port provided in the core and adapted forcommunication with the passage through the latter and one of the inlets.

2. A valve for air-brake systems comprising a casing having train-pipescommunicating therewith, a tubular core mounted for reciprocation in thecasing and adapted to maintain communication between the train pipes,spaced flanges embracing and movable with the core, and valve-controlledinlets opening into the casing, the core being provided between a pairof its flanges with a port designed to communicate with one of theinlets.

3. Avalve for air-brake systems comprising a casing having ports atopposite ends there of, a tubular core mounted for reciprocation withinthe casing and adapted to maintain communication between the ports,flanges embracing the core and contacting with the casing, said corehaving a lateral port disposed between a pair of the flanges, andvalve-controlled inlets leading to the casing, one of said inlets beingdesigned to communicate with the lateral port in the core.

4. A valve for air-brake systems comprising a casing having air pipescommunicating therewith, a controlling-valve arranged in one of thepipes, a tubular core mounted for reciprocation in the casing andadapted to maintain communication between the pipes, spaced flangesembracing and movable with the core and fitting snugly within thecasing, said core being provided with a port disposed between a pair ofthe flanges, means for preventing rotation of the core and flanges, andvalvecontrolled inlets opening into the casing, one of said inlets beingadapted to communicate with the port in the core.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casinghaving valvecontrolled inlets. a valve-controlled pipe open ing into oneend of the casing, and a port at the opposite end thereof; of a tubularcore open at its ends and adapted to reciprocate within the casing,annular flanges upon the core fitting snugly within the casing, saidcore having ports between two of the flanges adapted when in oneposition to register with one of the first-mentioned inlets, and meansfor preventing the rotation of the core and flanges.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casinghaving valvecontrolled inlets adapted to be connected to a pump; of atubular valve loosely mounted within the casing and adapted to maintaincommunication between openings at opposite ends of the casing, avalve-controlled pipe extending from one of said openings, the valvewithin the casing being adapted to automatically cut off communicationbetween one of the inlets and one of the openings in the casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC M. SIMONS.

WVitnesses:

MAX E. BRUNSWICK, JOHN MIsKnLL.

